Coaching with AI: Hype, Help, or Hindrance?

By Dr Peter J. Chum

There is no denying it—AI is now everywhere. From automating client scheduling to drafting emails and transcribing coaching sessions, the buzz around its potential to support the coaching profession is growing by the day. And yet, amidst this enthusiasm lies a crucial question: is AI enhancing the depth of human connection in coaching, or are we slowly handing over what should remain deeply human to machines?

Having studied the intricacies of coaching for years and worked with managers, professionals, and aspiring leaders in real-world contexts, I have learned that effective coaching cannot rely on technique alone. Nor should it rest purely on intuition. It is an interplay of art and structure, presence and planning, theory and responsiveness. So where exactly does AI fit into this picture?

What AI Can and Cannot Do

To say that AI can never coach is both true and misleading. AI does not possess consciousness, intuition, or the ethical sensitivity that human coaches bring into every session. However, this does not mean that it is irrelevant to coaching practice. On the contrary, AI is increasingly serving as a ‘co-pilot’—a silent yet capable partner that helps reduce operational friction, offer timely insights, and support decision-making.

Picture this: a coach enters a session already equipped with sentiment analysis from previous sessions, automatic transcripts highlighting key client concerns, and data trends suggesting recurring thought patterns or behavioural cues. The session itself is still conducted by a human being—empathetic, attentive, and flexible. Yet, this human coach is now empowered with insights previously unattainable or too time-consuming to gather manually. The focus shifts from note-taking and memory recall to deeper listening and more meaningful engagement. This is not science fiction. This is already happening.

To illustrate the practical scope of this transformation, let us consider a hypothetical case.

A Day in the Life of an AI-Augmented Coach: The Case of Amelia and Sarah

Amelia is an executive coach working with Sarah, a rising leader in a fast-scaling fintech company. They have been meeting fortnightly, focusing on Sarah’s challenges in team leadership, time management, and imposter syndrome. While Amelia conducts their sessions, she uses an AI-enhanced coaching platform that integrates a range of functionalities.

Before each session, the system provides Amelia with a digest from Sarah’s last three sessions. It highlights recurring emotional language, topics that triggered hesitation or deflection, and questions that consistently resulted in insight. Amelia reviews this and prepares her session plan accordingly—not to script it, but to stay attuned.

During the session, AI-powered tools transcribe the conversation in real time, allowing Amelia to maintain eye contact and listen without distraction. She also uses a visual dashboard to monitor shifts in tone and affect, which serves as a quiet background check rather than a directive.

Afterwards, the system generates a reflective summary and poses a series of post-session questions to Sarah, customised based on prior conversations. These reflections feed back into Amelia’s coaching preparation, allowing her to adapt, challenge, or revisit ideas with greater precision.

Over time, the AI system identifies Sarah’s behavioural patterns: her tendency to downplay achievements, over-apologise when discussing assertive action, and pivot away from conflict-based themes. These insights are not conclusions—they are prompts. Amelia discusses them with Sarah, explores their meanings, and together they co-create strategies for growth.

At no point does the AI ‘do the coaching’. It enables, informs, and augments. The coaching remains fundamentally human.

Coaching Frameworks and the Role of AI

Some argue that frameworks constrain the natural flow of coaching conversations. I would suggest otherwise. Frameworks—whether GROW, CLEAR, or proprietary ones developed by individual practitioners like PROPEL, the framework that I developed—offer a structured lens through which a coach can anchor their thinking, track progress, and provide repeatable value. They do not eliminate creativity; they enable it to flourish within a purposeful structure.

When AI is paired with a clear coaching framework, the benefits are magnified. Coaches can map conversations against developmental stages, trace emotional or behavioural shifts over time, and spot when clients might be regressing or stagnating. This systematic approach allows for greater accountability, not only for the coachee but also for the coach.

Moreover, frameworks help ensure that coaching is not simply ‘feel-good conversation’ but a disciplined practice with measurable outcomes. When supported by AI tools—such as those that visualise client progress, analyse language use, or suggest interventions—framework-based coaching becomes not only more rigorous but also more tailored.

To be clear, I am not proposing that every coach must rigidly adhere to a single model. Nor do I believe that coaching can or should be entirely automated. But to suggest that coaching can be fully free-form, ad hoc, and without any scaffolding risks undermining the depth and credibility of the profession. A good coach knows when to rely on structure and when to let go of it. AI does not decide this—but it can make both approaches more effective.

Ethical Boundaries and Emerging Responsibilities

With AI’s growing influence in the coaching space, ethical considerations must not lag behind. Confidentiality, consent, data storage, algorithmic bias—these are not afterthoughts but central to responsible practice. Coaches must remain informed not only about what tools are available, but about what their use implies for the client relationship.

Professional bodies will need to catch up quickly. Supervision models may have to evolve to accommodate discussions around AI-supported practice. In a way, we are entering a new era of reflective practice—one where our digital tools also become mirrors of our habits, assumptions, and biases.

Looking Ahead

As coaching continues to mature as a discipline, the integration of technology—particularly AI—will become less of a novelty and more of an expectation. Clients, especially younger generations, may come to assume that their coach uses such tools just as their GP or therapist might. The onus will be on us, as practitioners, to ensure that this integration enhances rather than erodes the core values of coaching: trust, presence, growth, and human connection.

We are still writing the rulebook, and perhaps that is what makes this moment so exciting—and so fragile. Let us proceed not with fear, but with discernment.